Norm's Articles

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you have to get with the program. Cell phones are becoming a mechanism of guaranteeing contact with the “right” person. Internet services are using cell phone text services to send verification and notification of account changes with an account holder.

Are you under the impression that your information is safe “in the cloud”? DON’T BELIEVE IT!

Every day there are news stories of data compromises. Everyone should take note; you are the only one who can be trusted to guard your privacy. Don’t assume that the place in the cloud where your data is being stored is safe.

“It’s a big company….” You may have your information on a server at a big company but that doesn’t guaranty anything. Recent news about Facebook was that Facebook was hacked. Millions of people’s personal information was compromised. Facebook doesn’t appear to be very concerned and management probably prefers that you don’t know about this latest fiasco. The public has a short memory. “Don’t worry… Trust me … there isn’t any serious problem…”

What are your choices? A computer used to be a desktop appliance. There were portable devices that offered some computing on the go but their functionality was limited. As the computer matured, portable devices went from heavy suitcases to computers that fit on your lap. You don’t need to be an Olympic weightlifter to tote a laptop. Today, the laptop is as powerful as the desktop unit. The biggest limitation is screen size. A big screen requires a big laptop.

A laptop or other portable device usually requires a wireless network capability. Most homes and offices offer a local wireless network for untethered network operations. Cell networks provide a wide area of coverage when local wifi isn’t available. You need a cell phone, hotspot, or cell provider card to utilize your provider’s network on the road.

Usually, your computer will update without any problems but occasionally updates will cause your computer grief. Before you panic when updates cause your computer to fail, evaluate the situation. Don’t jump to any drastic conclusions or attempt any repairs without careful consideration.

According to the World Health Organization, digital games can be addictive.

Why is it shocking that computer games can be addictive? Is the game addictive or is it the gambling on casino computer games that is addictive? It seems that a person can be addicted to anything. Cable television stations offer shows that display any and every kind of addiction imaginable.

Don’t be afraid to turn on your computer. If you are afraid of the Internet, it is relatively easy to insure that the Internet isn’t connected. Your computer or phone uses a wired or wireless connection to the Internet. If you disconnect the wired connection, you can’t be connected. Wireless connections require a bit more effort to disconnect but if you set your device to airplane mode, you are disconnected.

“Alexa, listen to what I am saying about my boss. Record it and send that recording to my boss.”

Do you know Alexa? Alexa is the smart speaker from Amazon. It is designed to make our lives easier but did you ever consider that it might make things easier for someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart?

Are you concerned with Facebook security issues that have recently made the news lately? Even if you don’t have a Facebook account, you should be concerned. Did you have time to watch Facebook executives, Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg weigh in on the security problems at Facebook?

Organizations that keep data about us should be governed by law to protect information about John Q. Public. The government has all kinds of information about us. We are consumers of the government since the government provides infrastructure to allow us to function. If you drive on the roads, you are using a government service. The large credit reporting agencies may have no relationship with the average person but the credit card agencies maintain all kinds of sensitive information about us and that information is used to generate revenue for them. Does information about us belong to the credit card companies?